National Significance and History of Monumental Church
By Justin Gunther

As a National Historic Landmark, Richmond's Greek Revival Monumental Church is significant to America's cultural, social, and architectural history. The events and individuals connected with Monumental Church give it an exceptional importance, and its architectural value is extremely remarkable.

The history of Monumental Church begins with an event that touched the hearts of a young nation. A festive audience of over 600 had gathered at the Richmond Theatre on December 26, 1811, for the season's last performance of the A. Placide Company. During preparations for the second act of a pantomime, "Raymond and Agnes: the Travelers Benighted, or The Bleeding Nun," a lantern ignited the stage scenery. Richmond Theatre was engulfed with flames, and the audience clamored for the exits. The editor of the American Standard was one of the first to escape, and he wrote the following for his newspaper: "No tongue can tell, no pen describe the woeful catastrophe. No person who was not there can form any idea of the unexampled scene of human distress." Most lost in the fire were women and children, and many were Richmond elite, like the newly elected Governor, George W. Smith. Governor Smith, after delivering his wife to safety, died valiantly trying to rescue others from the inferno.

A hero of particular note was Gilbert Hunt, a slave and blacksmith. Hunt had been sent to the burning Theatre by his wife's mistress to find her only daughter. When he arrived to find people jumping from the windows, he retrieved a ladder and risked his life to help others. Although he never found the girl he was sent to rescue, Hunt saved the lives of numerous Richmonders. Gilbert Hunt was later able to buy his freedom and became a folk legend when history repeated itself in 1823, this time at the penitentiary fire. By supporting another man on his shoulders, a hole was cut in the wall so that prisoners could escape the flames. In 1859 his popularity led to the publication of a pamphlet entitled "Gilbert Hunt, the City Blacksmith." Sold for 50 cents a copy, the money was placed into a fund to benefit Hunt in his later years. He died in 1863 and was memorialized in 1930 by a plaque given by a member of the Church. Placed to the left of the portico's doors, the plaque reads: "In memory of Gilbert Hunt, the colored man who, at the risk of his own life, heroically saved many lives at the burning of the Richmond Theatre (Dec. 26, 1811) on the site which this church stands." This tale of bravery adds a unique element to both the history of Monumental Church and of African Americans.
The news of the Richmond Theatre fire shocked the young country and Europe. Richmond received messages of sympathy from many nations. In Alexandria, Virginia, all dancing assemblies were postponed for a month. Petersburg, Virginia, cancelled its Masonic Ball. Theatre managers in other major cities adopted new building regulations. The clergy saw the events in Richmond as a "visitation of God." As far away as England, the clergy used the catastrophe to show the effects of "evil, frivolous" pastimes. A sermon given by Rev. Samuel Miller of First Presbyterian Church in New York declared, "It was not a work of chance. A righteous God has done it . . . Theatrical entertainments are criminal in their nature and mischievous in their effects." Richmond remained without any theatrical amusements for a period of eight years, demonstrating the authority of the clergy during that period of history.

The city appointed a committee headed by Chief Justice John Marshall to decide upon the erection of a monument for the common grave and a long-desired church to be built behind the tomb. Benjamin Henry Latrobe, America's first professional architect, became involved in the memorial's planning through his connection with Richmond's John Wickham, a wealthy local banker, and architect Alexander Parris. Latrobe's original conception for the monument was a reworking of his plan for the unexecuted tomb for George Washington, which he had designed as a pyramid in 1800. For his proposed church, Latrobe drew upon his design for the Roman Catholic Church of Baltimore (1806-1810). Latrobe's pupil, the South Carolinian Robert Mills, also submitted a design. Mills was the first native-born American to train for a career in architecture. He was connected to the Richmond Theatre fire by his marriage to the daughter of former Governor John Smith, one of the victims of the fire. Latrobe accused Mills of stealing his idea of a large domed church entered through a separate memorial to the dead. However, Mills created a novel building by combining the two building types, monument and church, into one. Uniting the monument and church also met the economical needs of a city with a limited budget. As architectural historian Charles Brownell states, by creating Monumental Church, "Mills thus began his ascendancy over Latrobe as a molder of the American civic monument." He would later design the Washington National Monument, the ultimate memorial to George Washington and a symbol of American patriotism, civic pride, and strength.
The cornerstone of Monumental Church was laid on August 1, 1812, and it was constructed under the direction of Isaac Sturdevant, a master builder from Boston. The church as executed, conformed largely to Mills' design. A steeple was originally planned to top the tower at the rear of the church, but was never erected. Aquia sandstone from Aquia Creek in Northern Virginia was used for the walls of Monumental Church, and this material was of national importance because Hoban also used it for the White House. Completed by the spring of 1814, the ingenuity of Mills abounds in Monumental Church. Every inch is symbolic, and Robert P. Winthrop, architect and director of the building's 1970s restoration program, describes Monumental Church as "an architect's paradise, a geometrically ordered building full of optical illusions and sweeping curves." Robert Mills described his plan as "Giving a sacred and lasting character to this structure by the erection of a temple for divine worship, making entrance to it through a monumental hall-the whole edifice to be under the title of The Monumental Church." The portico, or "monument," of the building features six Greek Doric columns modeled on the Temple of Apollo at Delos. Lachrymatories in the frieze convey the monument's purpose as a symbol of mourning and veneration of the dead. In the portico's center, the tomb combines a sarcophagic base with a Roman-inspired urn. The names of the victims are carved into the walls of the sarcophagus, and its cavetto cornice is decorated with a winged orb, an emblem of the creation and preservation of life taken from Egyptian temples. The window heads of the church are also in the shape of sarcophagi, carrying the theme of the monument to the body of the building. Mills understood the Egyptian tradition of honoring the dead in powerful and permanent forms, and his use of Egyptian elements in the design is evidence of his admiration for the buildings of antiquity. It has been speculated that this is one of the first American monuments, if not the first American monument, to incorporate Egyptian motifs. The marble urn, adorned with funerary symbols including drapery, stars, and a wreath with flying ribbons, sits atop the sarcophagus and was sculpted by Antonio Capellano.

Overall, Monumental Church is a meld of Roman, Greek and Egyptian motifs. This is illustrative of Mills' acceptance of eclecticism, or the combination of ancient forms with associated meanings as a basis for renewing antiquity for modern usage. Mills viewed his eclecticism as an American innovation in architecture, and this strain of advanced neoclassicism would become representative of Mills and his designs for monuments. Pamela Scott, associate editor of the Papers of Robert Mills, writes that Monumental Church "reflects a conscious reordering of the syntax of the historical language of architecture to create something new."

Mills chose to top his octagon-shaped building with a Delorme dome crowned with a lantern. Frenchman Philibert Delorme developed this method of dome construction in the 16th century. His concept of a framework of laminated wood planks gave architects of the early 19th century a light, quick, inexpensive, and easy way to cover a space with a dome. Mills first learned of this building technique from the library of Thomas Jefferson at Monticello around 1801. Before that time, Mills had been employed in the Charleston office of James Hoban, architect of the White House. Lack of commissions led Mills to leave this position for an invitation to use Jefferson's extensive library and learn of Jefferson's travels in Europe.

Architects like Mills and Latrobe employed the Delorme dome in their designs, and the construction method enjoyed an intense yet brief revival in early 19th century architecture due largely to Thomas Jefferson's promotion of the technique and his incorporation of a Delorme dome at Monticello. As well, Latrobe's understanding of acoustics and Mills's acceptance of his principles were determining factors for the dome's use by these architects.

Monumental Church is the most elaborate and only surviving of the five Delorme domed churches designed by Mills. The others were Circular Church of 1804-06 in Charleston, Sansom Street Church of 1808 in Philadelphia, Octagon Church of 1813 in Philadelphia, and Baptist "Round Top" Church of 1816 in Baltimore. Mills is also credited with creating in America the auditorium type of evangelical church, of which Monumental is an example.

The interior of the church contains additional surprises and examples of Mills' creative spirit. The front doors on the portico were rarely used, the traditional entrances being on the east and west sides of the octagon. Through these, visitors enter into vestibules with gracefully curved stairs, cantilevered from the walls with no visible means of support. These stairs lead to a gallery the wraps around seven sides of the main body of the church. Columns topped with sarcophagus-shaped capitals and decorated with inverted torches support this gallery. The gallery and pews on the main floor of the church face the pulpit, which is flanked by Ionic columns and is illuminated by a hidden skylight. The concept of mysterious illumination was obtained from his connection with Latrobe who in turn learned of the idea from the architect John Soane. In academic lectures, Soane discussed the mysterious lighting as "a most powerful agent in the hands of a man of genius, and its power cannot be too fully understood, or too highly appreciated." Robert Mills' experimental yet successful design amazes and inspires both the architect and layperson.

The consecration of Monumental Church on May 14, 1814, heralded the rebirth of the Episcopal Church in Virginia. Anglican ties had been previously broken by the Revolution. The original congregation was said to possess "a greater proportion of men distinguished for talent and influence than any congregation in the Union." Justice John Marshall attended services at Monumental Church until his death. Confederate Lt. Gen. Leonidas Polk served as assistant to the rector until he became Bishop of Louisiana. Edgar Allan Poe attended with his foster parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Allan. Lewis Webb Chamberlayne, one of the four founders of the Medical College of Virginia, and his family filled three pews in the Church. The Marquis de Lafayette was honored in the Church in 1846 for his return to Virginia. Until 1846 all Virginia governors but two worshipped at Monumental Church. As congregations changed, the interior was modified to support modern tastes. Richard Upjohn, architect of New York's Trinity Church and major proponent of the Gothic Revival, was employed to make alterations between 1845 and 1850. He filled the east-west cross aisles with pews, removed the central chancel, and extended the rail to incorporate a pulpit, lectern, and altar. From 1874 to 1879 a Sunday school building was attached to the east entrance, destroying this entrance and disrupting the symmetrical form of Monumental Church. Thankfully, during the restoration of the 1970s, the Sunday school was demolished and the east portico rebuilt. Art glass windows, a painting of the Resurrection in the apse, and a dome fresco painting of the Angel Gabriel were later additions, which have all since been removed. The building served the Diocese until 1965, when its congregation became too small to support it.

Mills' success with Monumental Church led to other Richmond commissions. Of Mills' Richmond houses, only the 1818 John Brockenbrough House remains standing. A third story was added in the mid-nineteenth century, and changes in the end walls accompanied extensive interior alterations. Four pairs of monumental Doric columns grace the garden front of the house. Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president, and his family resided here from 1861 to 1865. The house is now part of the Museum of the Confederacy. Robert Mills also designed the Richmond City Hall in 1816. This domed, neoclassical building was razed in 1874, a victim of the 1870 Virginia State Capitol disaster. A balcony in the Capitol collapsed and killed scores of spectators. Mills' City Hall was condemned and demolished on the false pretense that this building was also structurally unsound. Despite these other commissions, Monumental Church remains the most significant and is the earliest surviving major work of Mills in Richmond and in the country.

Preserving our unique treasures like Monumental Church are crucial to the understanding of our nation's history and of the evolution of American architecture. The Richmond Theatre fire that led to the creation of Monumental Church was an event of international significance, touching the hearts of both Americans and Europeans. The heroic story of Gilbert Hunt adds a component of African American history, and the clergy's reaction to the fire is illustrative of the power of the church during that period. Monumental Church's connection to famous Virginians and significant national figures also contributes to its value. Most importantly, Monumental Church is an illustration of the effort of an early American's search for a national identity through civic architecture. The building reveals the influence of Latrobe and Jefferson on Mills, specifically the influence of Latrobe's Classical Revival style and Jefferson's promotion of the Delorme dome. However, Mills' design for Monumental Church goes beyond the influence of these mentors and demonstrates the architect's innovative ability to draw upon examples from antiquity and modify them to create his own unique expression of American monumental architecture.

Historic Richmond Foundation - The William Byrd Branch of APVA Preservation Virginia